When Fathers Step Up to the Plate: Book Review of "After Charlotte's Mom Died"

Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday where I link up withSusannah Leonard Hill’sfantastic group of picture book writers, illustrators, librarians and others who contribute a picture book review and related resources for parents, teachers and children.

2. Sunday is a very special day as well…June 17th is Father’s Day! There are so many wonderful fathers and father figures out there…this day is for all of you! I have to make a special shout-out to my son-in-law who is an amazing hands-on dad…not only does he play ball and take walks with his son, he also never misses being part of the daily bedtime routine, reading stories and overseeing the brushing of teeth. When my daughter has to travel for business, Erik never falters and is mom and dad at those times. I’m also very proud of my son who has twins who are almost seven. From the time they were born, he has shared in EVERY moment…feeding, changing diapers, singing them to sleep…now they all ice-skate and play chess together.

My pick for Perfect Picture Book Friday is in honor of those dads who really step up to the plate.

After Charlotte’s Mom Died

Written by Cornelia Spelman

Illustrated by Judith Friedman

Publisher: Albert Whitman Co (1996)

Ages: 5 and up

Themes:

Grief/loss, family, emotions

Synopsis:

When five-year old Charlotte’s mother dies in a car accident, the little girl has many feelings she is not comfortable expressing to her dad, even though she loves him very much. She worries about going to sleep because an aunt told her that dying was like going to sleep. She is angry and sad and scared, although on the outside, she still looks the same. After an incident at school alerts her father to the fact that Charlotte is not dealing well with the death of her mother, he decides to go with Charlotte to see a therapist. The therapist helps them to talk about how they feel and they realize that although they will continue to feel sad about the death of Charlotte’s mother, they can find happiness in life.

Why do I like this book:

The death of a close loved one is always difficult…to lose one’s mother at a very young age is earthshattering! This book tenderly addresses this issue…the illustrations are soft, the message of the text is comforting and empowering. I especially love the caring and practical advice the author gives to parents and other child caregivers in the book’s foreward:

listen carefully to the child

acknowledge his fears and feelings without judging

offer assurances that there will always be people to love him and care for him

offer hope for future happiness

Related Activities:

Memories of special people, places and experiences are extremely important for all of us. Help your child start a box of treasured mementos now! The boxes in the pictures below were actually made as Valentine’s Day mailboxes by the people I work with, so each of these boxes has a slit for Valentine’s Day cards to be inserted into…your child’s treasure box won’t have the slit. I was so impressed with the effort and creativity of these adults, I wanted to share some of the boxes with all of you.

Treasure Box Shoe Box

You will need: One shoe box with lid, paper to cover the box (construction paper, gift wrap, shelf paper), scissors, and glue or tape.

1. Cut the paper your child has selected to cover the box. You will need two pieces, one for the box and one for the lid. Important tip: if you use painting paper, your child can decorate it with vegetable prints, sponge painting or pictures cut from magazines or greeting cards.

2. Carefully fit the paper around the outside of the shoebox and glue or tape in place. Do the same with the lid.

3. Make a label to put on the box, for example: EMILY’S TREASURED MEMENTOS or JOSH’S BOX OF MEMORIES.

My box had pictures of my family, all around the sides. That might be a nice idea for a child using pictures of family and friends.

This post is part of a series for parents and teachers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays hosted bySusannah Leonard Hill. Click on her link and find lots of other picture book suggestions with summaries and activities.